OrpingtonT

Superb posts. Lovely picture. That little girl would steal anybody's heart. Thanks.

Like others, Barbara and I thought straight away of the lovely people we have met on our travels with Regent and of the worry and heartache they must be going through. It makes our own cares seem so insignificant.

[quote name='Graham Sadler'][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Dear OrphingtonT,[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The suite mock ups were built in a design studio in south Florida, near our Miami office. It was due to this close proximity and that we had a number of agent partners and past guests nearby that we took the opportunity to bring them in to see them and critique them. Although a similar exercise will not be possible in the UK, we are eager to receive feedback from all of our guests on features and amenities they would like to see in the new ship.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Graham[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

Thanks for the reply, Graham. It wouldn't cost Regent much to charter a plane and fly a few of us over to see the design studio or better still a complimentary crossing on Voyager or Mariner would be quite acceptable. :)

One of these days we will meet up. That pleasure has escaped us so far.

Tom.

Great, interesting review. And I totally agree with all of it, though I have no background to make comparisons with Carnival or indeed any other lines. You did not mention La Veranda or Sette Mari. I enjoy the latter, evening outlet very much, personally.

Even though the gratuitities are included, should we tip the Butler?

 

What exactly does the Butler do, and is he readily available? i.e. press clothers, make dining reservations????

 

Thanks.

 

The crew fund is the way to go for exceptional service and the butler does not do the ironing but will make appropriate arrangements for pressing to be done. He will bring you canapes mid afternoon, mix your drinks if you don't want to do that yourself and help in any way you wish.

Tom,

 

>>cancelled<< I hope you and Barbara are OK.

 

Peggy

 

I am afraid not. I have developed an illness which requires a long and intensive course of radiotherapy which I have now started. November 20th, the day we should be boarding Mariner for our crossing, will be a sad day for us but we are looking forward to next year and cruising again with our favourite line.

As TC says, having guests on board is permitted. I received permission to invite my niece and her family on to Mariner on the stop at Cartagena later this month.

 

Sadly, I have had to cancel, but the procedure is to ask Regent, either directly or through your TA if you are using one. They will send you a form to list the details, passport numbers or some form of ID, names and addresses for security purposes of your guests and you will get confirmation.

I noticed that our US friends have entered their names on a waiting list for the maiden voyage of the new ship, RSS Explorer. Is a waiting list about to be opened up for UK cruisers? And is there to be a similar exercise inj the UK as the one held in the USA where Guests were invited to a mock up of various grades of suite to offer their opinions?

Best wishes.

I am with Pepc. Though in the clear minority, I like the blue stripe.

Hunding,

 

You have to ask your butler for an iPad if you want one. At least that was our experience several years ago on Mariner and we were then given an iPad to use.

 

Exactly right. The butler will bring you an IPad plus charging cable and ask you for it back on disembarkation.

And have also you had to pay the balance to your TA at a much earlier date than when dealing direct with Regent?

 

Yes, I am expected to, but I usually say I have signed up to the requirements of Regent payment schedule and pay when I am ready although within the Regent deadline.

Just wondering if any UK based Regent cruisers have ever been upgraded or even offered an upsell? Because we haven't! :(

 

Yes. I was once offered an upgrade to a Voyager Horizon suite and once an upsell to a PH, both of which I took. In those days I booked directly with Regent. Nowadays I have fallen for the discount offered by a TA and really miss the direct contact with the Regent team in Southampton. But money is money!

While I see the potential for better sanitation when people cannot touch the utensils in the buffet line, DW and I much prefer taking our own portions as on Regent. Staff always shuffle out too way much food, even when we ask for a small portion or just a taste. It is very annoying.

 

I agree and Travelcat makes an excellent point when she refers to practices endured in hotels and restaurants.

Thank you TC for your thoughts on the various aspects of Oceania covered so far. I find them very interesting, though I doubt that I will ever sail that line. I am too content with Regent.

Thank you. I was puzzled by the "Lido" reference but I see now that you are using it to describe the pool area. I hadn't read about sewage gas smell in the breakfast area though I have experienced the smell myself in the aft area of deck 7, though not on my last Mariner cruise.

 

I thought it had gone but it seems to be recurring intermittently. I wish you had reported it.

 

I shall be on Mariner again in the spring of next year.

I know this isn't going to sit well with all the Regentites, and will probably be deleted as it's IMO and it's a negative.

We just returned from a basically lovely cruise on Regent Mariner. 17 days, Southern Sojourn. And, yep.....hate to say it, there WAS a funky smell in the stern. It wasn't continual, but for probably a total of 3 days ( out of 17), it was there. We got that odor, stongly in the Veranda/Lido area. I'm basically a Pollyanna, sort of gal, but this pretty well stopped me in my tracks. It then came flooding back to me about comments on such on this board. Who ever mentioned it was right on.........

It didn't last long.........but I was grateful we were midships. Sorry,kids.........

 

Why should it be deleted? It is an experience which should be made known.

 

Having said that, I don't recollect any other posts suggesting the gassy smell in the Veranda area. (where is the Lido, incidentally?)

 

Did you mention it to the powers-that-be?

This is a puzzling thread which makes me wonder if there is some background I know nothing about. On the face of it, it is a simple and acceptable query from someone who has booked an aft suite on Mariner, has read or heard about odours in that area of the ship, and wondered if he/she ought to seek a suite further forward or cancel an rebook on Crystal.

 

CC is an admirable vehicle for that sort of query and it seems churlish to me to deny the poster the opportunity to seek peoples' views, even though he/she is aware they may be biased.

I agree, too. The aft suites are wonderful.

Crisp Codfish with friffled spaghetti squash, butternut squash and greens

 

 

I thought I could "read" a menu, but what on earth is "Friffled spaghetti squash"?

Orpington, thanks for UK info. I have a coupon, we don't sail for several months yet, final balance is due in September I believe. Do I send the coupon direct to Seabourn now, or to my TA when we pay the final balance?

 

To Seabourn when you pay the final balance.

Thanks to you both

Orpington being UK based assume you normally send to S'hampton?

 

On the one occasion I sent it recorded delivery to Seattle.

 

If it is helpful, the Email addresses are

 

ukseabournclub@cunard.co.uk and

seabournclub@seabourn.com

What is the address that a UK person sends too.

 

This is what Seaborn say:

 

Please mail the certificate to:

Seabourn

Attn: Seabourn Club Desk,

300 Elliot Ave West

Seattle, WA98119

Or you may return it to our UK office at:

Seabourn UK

100 Harbour Parade

Southampton,

Hampshire

SO15 1ST

United Kingdom

I would LOVE to sail on Regent! Actually, I am already working on a financial plan and a budget to accomplish that. My plan involves our local community bank and a note that says, "place all your nonsequential $50 and $100 bills in this bag -and NO die pack!

 

:):) Remember though. No bills at the end. No nickel & diming. No pushing for tips. No arguing over tabs at the bar. And as a minimum, a good size suite with balcony to jump off if your money worries get too much.

I am not committed to any one cruise line so it is entirely possible that we will sail on Carnival again.

 

 

Please try Regent Seven Seas Voyager or Mariner (NO charges for alcohol, excursions or tips, remember)

I think Loodie was inquiring whether the iPads are mounted or otherwise locked down to prevent them from being removed. I haven't been in a suite that comes with an iPad, so I can't say with certainty, but I imagine any restraint would diminish the value of providing a free iPad -- e.g. reading the newspaper on your balcony -- so I can't imagine they're locked down. I assume they just charge you for the cost of a replacement iPad if you don't return it at the end of a cruise.

 

-- Eric

I have had, and really enjoyed the use of an IPad. As I said earier, the butler gives it to you if you want one. You can get instructions for it's use from the Computer room and it is yours to carry around with you if you wish. On your last day, the butler comes along and takes it off you, ticking you off his list.